“The Witcher” has been renewed for a fourth season by Netflix, though the hit fantasy series will be missing one familiar face. Henry Cavill will exit the production after the upcoming third season debuts, with Liam Hemsworth set to take over the lead role of Geralt of Rivia.
The streamer announced the renewal and casting news on Saturday afternoon, with both Hemsworth and Cavill also releasing statements. Reading into the tone of both statements, the decision seems to be an amicable passing of the torch.
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“My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4,” Cavill said in a statement on Instagram. “In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”
“As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia. Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honoured that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure,” Hemsworth’s statement reads. “Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world.”
Cavill has starred as the monster hunter Geralt on “The Witcher” since the Netflix series debuted in Dec. 2019. The show’s upcoming third season, which has set a release window of Summer 2023, will now be the actor’s last with the series.
“The Witcher” has emerged as somewhat of a flagship franchise for Netflix over the years. A four-part prequel series starring Michelle Yeoh, “The Witcher: Blood Origin,” is set to premiere on Christmas Day. Recasting the lead role of the franchise’s mainline series after Cavill’s departure further underlines how invested the streamer is in the property.
Hemsworth is best known for his role as Gale Hawthorne in “The Hunger Games” series, starring opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. More recently, he has starred with Christoph Waltz in the Roku Channel’s “Most Dangerous Game” series, which was renewed for a second season in August 2021. He also stars in Russell Crowe’s upcoming thriller “Poker Face.”
Cavill remains a hot commodity in the entertainment industry. The actor stars alongside Millie Bobby Brown in “Enola Holmes 2,” releasing on Netflix next week, and recently signed on to reunite with director Guy Ritchie on “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.” Additionally, Cavill has confirmed that he will be reprising his role as Superman in an upcoming Warner Bros. film, though no writers or directors are currently attached to the project.
News of Cavill’s return as Superman comes almost five years after 2017’s “Justice League,” which marked the actor’s most recent extended appearance as the DC Comics superhero. However, Cavill did make a cameo in the newly released “Black Adam,” appearing in a sequence that teases a battle between Superman and Dwayne Johnson’s antihero. Cavill was given permission to take a break from Season 3 of “The Witcher” to film his “Black Adam” appearance. Now, he departs the series entirely.
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